Sir Ivan Rogers led David Cameron to European doom. Why would Theresa May listen to him on Brexit?

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Knighted in the 2016 New Year's Honours, Sir Ivan Rogers played a key role in David Cameron's attempt to renegotiate Britain's membership of the EUCredit:
ALAMY

Britain's Establishment is still in a sulk over Brexit. Sir Ivan Rogers, our man in Brussels, has warned the Government that it could take up to 10 years to agree a trade deal after leaving. Even then, he thinks it could all fall apart.

What gives him the right to stick his oar in like this, you might wonder? Sir Ivan is a career civil servant who rose up the ranks of officialdom, little noticed by the general public.

He is rarely seen in photos, as he is normally hiding behind ministers or dashing into negotiating rooms. But we know one thing: he is no stranger to Europhilia. Sir Ivan worked for Ken Clarke in the Treasury before going off to work for the European Commission.